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Studen ts Colby students arrested at protest in Georgia seek to ban A large protest is held each year a really great experience." short distance from the base. This year This year, 3400 people chose to Screw Your was the tenth anniversary of the initial cross the line, including 12 of the 13 protest, which, drew only 11 people, all members of the Waterville group. of whom were arrested. This year, Foley,president of the Colby chapter of Room mate 10,000 people attended, down slightly Amnesty International, chose to RYAN DAVIS from 15, By 000 last year due to foul weath- remain behind with walkie-talkies, cell NEWS EDITOR er. Seventeen hundred people were phones and die phone numbers of peo- arrested this year for protesting on the ple's parents in case "something went In the wake of a reported sexual base itself. down," as she put it. assault after this year's Screw Your Posner believes that the large num- As it turned out, something did go Roommate dance, several students ber of arrests was an important part of down. The 12 members of the Colby have organized a petition asking the the protest. "It showed that people are group managed to cross the line with- Student Government Assodation to so angry and so frustrated (about the out incident and were about five feet ban the event. Women's Group co- human ri hts- g violations connected to from returning to public property leader Amy Reznitsky '02, one of the the School) that they aae willing to be when Hallee decided to take a picture organizers of the petition, said that arrested and riskjaiLtime. I think that's of the group. Signs, an the property 200 students had signed even before an important message to send to the inform people that photographs are an aggressive effort was made to pub- people who run the School." forbidden, although the students claim licize the cause. "For the first time in my life, every that they hadn't seen anyone at all According to Reznitsky, those action I took trul y felt right," said arrested for having a camera. seeking to ban the dance "see the con- Kellett . Fort Benning military police came nection with sexual assault that goes A major part of the protest is called up to Hallee and told her to come with on during that weekend." This year, a "crossing the line." The "line" is paint- them, When she refused, they hand- female student was sexually assault- ' ed on the sidewalk and separates pub- cuffed her. ed by her Screw Your Roommate property lic in Columbus from govern- "It was totally arbitrary," said date, although she declined to press PHOTO COURTESVMEGHAN FOLEY ment property inside Fort Benning. McGowan, "Basically; (the military charges. No other sexual assaults Crossing the line to protest on the base police) were in a bad mood and they have been reported during previous e s C a e School of the Americas protest in Columb us, Ca. M mber of the olby group t th is a crime, and is considered an act of were picking people at random." Screw Your Roommate weekends,, but tivil disobedience by the protesters. Seven other members of the group Ga. to join 10,000 people in protesting were arrested and detained for eight Reznitsky said that she "personally By RYAN DAVIS Those crossing the line engage in a were told to leave, but they instead the School of the Americas, a military hours by military police officers. know(s) of numerous cases of sexual NEWS EDITOR "funeral march," carrying crosses bear- chose to sit down in protest. training institution at Fort Benning. The School of the Americas, located assault that have occurred during that ing the name of a person who was the "We were almost off the base and The group included Posner, Francie three miles inside Fort Benning, says weekend but were never reported." "I definitely did not go down there victim of a School oi the Americas all of a sudden, we look back and see McGowan '04, Jessica Kellett '03, Maia that it exists to promote human rights According to Director of Security planning to get arrested. It was not on graduate. All the names are called out, our friend being handcuffed and we Campoamor '03, Meredith Edmunds and peace in Latin America. Yet Pete Chenevert, "I heard rumors my agenda," said Emily Posner '03 and the person carrying the cross with were like 'whafs going on?'" said '03, Andy Hoyt '02, Ryan Swank '03, numerous graduates of the school have going around that there were a lot about her experience protesting that person's name calls back "pre- Swank. When the military police told Meghan Foley '02, Elizabeth Turnbull returned to their home countries to more sexual assaults that weekend. human rights violations in Georgia. sent" in Spanish. them to leave, "a few of us sat down '04, Tennessee Watson '03, community commit crimes ranging from drug traf- Students kept asking me what I was "But now that ifs over, I certainly Some members of the Colby group and then the rest of us sat down with members Keith Zaltsberg and Anne ficking to rape and massacre. Offitials doing about them, but no one report- wouldn't take back any second of it." spontaneously planted their crosses in them," Swank and the others were Hallee and Watson's friend Dolan from the school claim -that this is a coin- ed (the inddents)." Unless crimes of On Nov. 18, a group of Colby stu- Josh the ground and hugged each other. from Vermont. Eight members of the cidence, but many human-rights this nature are reported, Security can- dents and Waterville community "Before we knew it, we had 50 people group, Posner, Kellett, Watson, Swank, watchdog groups believe the School See ARREST, continued not take any action. Chenevert members drove 27 hours to Columbus, hugging us," said McGowan. "It was a Hoyt, Hallee, Zaltsberg, and Dolan, should be sluit down. on page 4 declined to comment on the petition to ban Screw Your Roommate. Dean of Students Janice Kassman said "I do not recall cases of assault Sexual assault reported on campus , charg es fi led being reported to my office after sim- ilar weekends in past years. But then Asked what the result of such a Serdjenian said. "But it's a good Also during the weekend of the By RYAN DAVIS again, remember that students often hearing might be, Associate Dean of thing if cases are being reported." Screw Your Roommate dance, a case NEWS EDITOR choose to talk about these matters in Student for Academics Mark Serdjenian declined to discuss was reported involving the "date- confidence with counselors 1)r med- Serdjenian said, "Every case is dif- what action had been taken in the rape" drug rohypnol being placed in On Dec. 1, the Dean of Students ical personnel at the Health Center ferent. I'd never be able to predict other sexual assault case this semes- a female student's drink at a party. office received a report of a sexual and those staff members are com- what the outcome will be. But stu- ter. Trie victim in that case dedded She was riot assaulted. According to assault that had occurred on cam- pelled to maintain confidentiality." dents have been suspended for sexu- not to pursue off-campus legal Chenevert, there has been no pus. The incident took place during Those organizing the petition al assault in the past," action against her alleged attacker, progress in that case since it hap- the past month in a residence hall claim that Screw Your Roommate According to Chenevert, the fact pened. and involved two students. The "creates an environment that con- that charges have been filed at this "We haven't got any leads in that Security Department and the dones this type of behavior," point is no indication that they will case and I don't think we ever will," WatervillePolice are currently inves- Reznitsky said. be followed through on. "People can he said. "There were so many people tigating the matter. It is the second charges, the alleged attacker faces However, she quickly qualified change their minds and who knows going in and out of that apartment sexual assault reported at Colby this prosecution for gross sexual assault. her remarks. "I'm not saying that what can happen. But charges have that I don't think we'll ever find out semester, following an incident after According to Chenevert, the goal there is a direct correlation (between been filed and ifs moving forward," who did that, to be honest with the Screw Your Roommate dance on of pressing on-campus charges is to the dance and inddents of sexual he said. you." Sept. 23. have the alleged attacker "removed assault). It would be absurd to say This incident was not a random Looking at everythmg that has According to Director of Security from campus or disciplined." that, But I also don't think that this attack, "Students don't have to happened this semester, Chenevert Pete Chenevert, legal action will be "Anyone who is a victim on-cam- correlation can go unmentioned." worry that we have a stranger out said, "Let's face it: sexual assault is pursued in this case. pus of sexual assault or that type of Screw Your Roommate opponents there and that students could be ran- wrong. Period. And it shouldn't "The young woman has decided crime can have their case heard also take issue with the event's name.

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